3,907 Teachers Achieve National Board Certification Bringing National Total to More Than 122,000
Note: State-level data on National Board Certified Teachers is available here. To identify National Board Certified Teachers in your area, view our searchable directory.
ARLINGTON, Va. —December 10, 2018—The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards celebrates 3,907 new National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and another 4,446 Board-certified teachers who successfully renewed their certification in 2018. These teachers join a growing community of Board-certified teachers, now more than 122,000 strong across all 50 states. Each of these accomplished educators earned the profession’s highest mark of achievement through a rigorous, performance-based, peer-review process, demonstrating their proven impact on student learning and achievement.
“I’m thrilled to celebrate our new National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs). This is a great personal accomplishment, but it’s more than that–this accomplishment is reason to celebrate the impact Board-certified teachers have on millions of students nationwide and on the teaching profession at-large. School principals and systems leaders from across the country regularly tell me that NBCTs are making a difference in their students’ learning, strengthening their schools and their communities,” said Peggy Brookins, NBCT, president and CEO of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
In addition to the new NBCTs, more than 20,000 teachers are currently pursuing Board certification. An increasing number of states and districts support growing the number of Board-certified teachers because of the impact they see on teachers and students.
Highlights from this year’s class of new Board-certified teachers
- Widening reach:
- There are new NBCTs in over 2,000 schools in 999 districts across 47 states
- Growing concentrations in schools, districts, and states:
- 12 states have more than 100 new NBCTs
- 4 districts have more than 100 new NBCTs
- 26 schools have 5 or more new NBCTs; 182 have 3 or more
- Increasing equity, reaching a broader range of students than ever:
- 47% of new NBCTs teach in high-needs schools
- Eighteen of the new NBCTs teach in Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) affiliated schools, an increase of 37% since 2014, and have hundreds of teachers working towards certification
- 40% of new NBCTs teach in STEM fields
Sheyenne High School in North Dakota had the most new NBCTs in the country, with 12. The school’s instructional coach, Aaron Knodel, NBCT said, “We see pursuing National Board certification as the best professional development available. Having so many teachers going through the process lifted up all the teachers in our building, even those who did not pursue certification.”
At Lafayette High School in Wildwood, Missouri, home to nine new NBCTs, principal Dr. Karen Calcaterra believes that more teachers should be engaged in the National Board process. “We foster an environment of teachers as leaders, learners and problem solvers. National Board Certified Teachers help develop that culture for students and the school culture benefits. I see our NBCTs and candidates pursuing certification developing stronger classroom practices, impacting students and also growing their own careers,” she said.
During the week of December 10, Educators across the country will celebrate all Board-certified teachers, as well as those teachers who are current candidates for Board certification, with #TeamNBCT week. The activities include in-person and online recognition of the dedication, expertise, and leadership of these educators.
“National Board Certification is about helping teachers become great, it is about elevating the teaching profession, and it is about helping children achieve at higher rates,” said Brookins. “The certification process impacts teaching and learning well beyond an individual teacher’s classroom.”
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About the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (www.nbpts.org):
The founding mission of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is to advance the quality of teaching and learning by: (1) maintaining high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do; (2) providing a national voluntary system certifying teachers who meet these standards; and (3) advocating related education reforms to integrate National Board Certification in American education and to capitalize on the expertise of National Board Certified Teachers. Recognized as the “gold standard” in teacher certification, the National Board believes higher standards for teachers means better learning for students.